Bullfrog & Painted Turtle

Call my cruel and inhumane, but I removed a bullfrog and a cute, painted turtle from the lake at my parent's cottage to the pond in my backyard.  I couldn't resist having an amphibian and reptile hanging out in my backyard oasis.  They were easy to catch--just went out in the paddle boat with a wee net.  I feel slightly guilty about removing the bullfrog and turtle from their natural habitat, but I think what I got going in the backyard is pretty swank and I will be providing tasty feeder goldfish and turtle food if the critters decide my accommodations are suitable.  The bullfrog already popped out of the pond and hopped around.  I hope he sticks.  The turtle is obviously not as mobile, but I'm sure he can escape the area too if he puts his little turtle mind to it.  I just hope I see them around tomorrow because I didn't get any pictures yet...dang!

It was a nice little visit up at the cottage.  I slept really well and got to sleep in because my kids weren't waking me up at 6:30.  I miss them though.  Think I might go see The Great Gatsby tonight.  Seeing films are another one of those things that you can't do as easily with kids.

Happy Memorial Day. 

Checking In

Olson's wedding was a success with tons of food, some good dancing, and some fun conversation.  I decided not to stay at the hotel because I missed my family, so I drove home last night at 1:15 a.m.  I had a good amount to drink early, but I think I ate so much that I sobered up quickly.  I felt fine and not sleepy so I left.  Plank road was quite desolate which was nice.  Some strange black furry creature, perhaps a sasquatch stumbled in the road, but other than that, the trip was uneventful and I got to sleep next to Carly in my own bed.  

I also got to wake up (with a slight hangover) and see the boys before the go to Grammy Renee's.  I am headed to the cottage for some Hill bonding time.

Later.

Friday Nuptials

Headed to a colleague's wedding tonight in Schaumburg.  I have to say, I enjoy me a good wedding.  Gin & Tonic is my typical wedding concoction and only once or twice has it led me wrong.  On one of those memorable wedding nights I ended up weeping from drunken joy when the lights came on at 1:00 in the morning.  I was having so much fun and didn't want the night to end.  The pictures are entertaining.  

I don't foresee that happening tonight, but it will be fun hanging out with the English department and putting back a few beverages.  The school year is almost done.  Let the Memorial Day Weekend begin.

Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment

Just got done watching the eight episodes of Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment.  Watched five last night and three tonight.  It was a good show and definitely went along with the book I just finished Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why.

Anyway, a group of nine people have to trek through the Alaskan wilderness, hunt game, and attempt to survive.  It's an interesting show and does a good job of capturing just how harsh the natural world can be.  I'm a sucker for this type of reality t.v. even though it felt like the entire show revolved around the phrase: "their bodies are burning through 4,000 calories a day, and the meagre meal of (squirrel, duck, pteregin, trout, porcupine, etc) only provides a fraction of their food needs.  They are starving."  In every episode, I swear, a variation of that phrase was uttered.

An interesting tidbit in the show was the character of John.  He seemed to be one of the most determined, most prepared, and most entertaining characters in my opinion.  On the seventh show John mentions his boyfriend and how he draws strength from a letter from him.  Ok.  Cool.  My "gaydar" was obviously not working since I did not foresee him being gay.  I fully realize one's sexuality has little to nothing to do with how one goes about surviving in Alaska, but I still think it is interesting that he is gay.  After the "reveal" in the show, it seemed that the show played up his sexuality a bit more and I said to myself, "well, sure...it's obvious."  The producers of this show did a nice job of "setting me up" to question any lingering prejudices I had.  I don't know if I didn't know because it has nothing to do with anything, or if it's because my mind was a bit constricted.

It's a timely connection since the boy scouts are hopefully now allowing openly gay scouts...adult scout leaders...that is something the scouts, unfortunately, don't seem ready for yet.  We can hope.  Anyway, enough for tonight.  I'm sleepy and am thankful for all the food I can eat.

Dishes, Dishes, Everywhere and Not A Clean One in Sight

This is what our kitchen looks like when we don't empty the dishwasher for two days.  It's amazing just how many utensils, dishes, cups and glasses we have.  I have often wondered what would happen if we try the Zen method out.  What if we each had one spoon, fork, plate, bowl, and glass?  Of course it would lead to more frequent washing and I think it would stop the small disaster pictured above from happening.  But perhaps we would get bogged down doing that too.  I don't know.  I tend to think that less is more, but I don't always live that way.  Got to love modern life!

Astounding!

"If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves." Thomas Edison.

This is the quote of the day on my chalkboard today.  I know, I know, shouldn't I have a white board by now, or even a smart board?  We go ol' school in room B133.  Anyway, the students are taking the post-assessment which involves an in-class essay.  I tried to motivate them to do the best they could, but I am a little worried about the results.  We shall see on Thursday when we mark them.  Needless to say, even though they are capable of writing well, I am not so sure their efforts are going to be astounding.  The students are ready for summer up in here!  Sitting in a warm classroom and writing for 45 minutes on a topic they don't care that much about did not really do it for them, even though it was 10 percent of their grade.

Ahhh, Tommy Edison, the Electric Sunshine Man.  In my fifteen minutes of fame when I was 10 years old I was the lead in the school play.  I can still recall the music and some of my lines.  I was the Wizard of Menlo Park, Thomas Edison himself.  I have memories of the play because I've seen it on VHS tape a few times, but I also can vividly recall being up on the stage.  I got to hang out on a ladder in between parts of scenes and I remember having a blast.  

I need to do more astounding things.  I know I am capable of a lot.  I just need to harness the necessary energy.  Well, that's about all for now.  Adieu!

  

Rhubarb Pie

Made my first rhubarb pie about an hour ago.  How simple.  How delicious.  It could be my thing.  I could be the rhubarb pie guy.  I like it.  Here's a picture of my pie after Carly and I ate a slice each.

I was admiring the huge rhubarb leaves wondering if they were edible.  They are not.  Apparently they are full of Oxalic Acid which can be a natural pesticide; aphids find 'em yucky.  I might try making that pesticide mixture too.  I could be an aphid destroyer superhero--the exterminator!

Anyway, I have been at the blog for a week.  I realize I am mostly writing to myself, but that's ok, I guess.  Speaking of ok...after watching Silver Linings Playbook, they reference the origins of the word  "ok."  Here's what I found: The oldest written references result from its use as a slogan by the Democratic party during the American Presidential election of 1840. Their candidate, President Martin Van Buren, was nicknamed 'Old Kinderhook' (after his birthplace in New York State), and his supporters formed the 'OK Club'. This undoubtedly helped to popularize the term (though it did not get President Van Buren re-elected).  

Garden-a-Rama

Planted the church garden today along with our personal backyard bonanza garden.  A lot of dirt was played with, and I had a good time getting the vegetables in the ground.  It was a beautiful day and it all came together quite nicely.  A boy scout is using the church's garden as his Eagle Scout project and it was interesting being around that whole community again.  There were a lot of volunteers so it made easy work to get everything in the ground.  Over a 100 tomato plants, around 30 peppers, rows of okra, zucchini, beans, cucumbers, squash, all sorts of herbs and other tasty veggies went in.  I think we'll have a huge amount of produce to donate to Hope Haven.  I hope they like tomatoes.

I'm really tuckered out tonight though.  Perhaps it had something to do with four beers I drank over at Angel and Jen's after all the work.  Perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that the boys are completely over-stimulated today and will not go to sleep and give up the ghost.  Perhaps I just worked hard.  Whatever the case, I had all sorts of interesting thoughts to write about such as endless summer days and the like, but I will end this post now since I sort of bogarted the computer from Carly and she is back from policing the boys and she needs it.

Until tomorrow...

In a Month...

I will be 35.  Whoa!  I think that is getting up there.  I definitely feel a tad bit of trepidation concerning my 35th birthday.  I feel good about who I am, what I'm doing, and the family I am creating, but I also feel like I should be better, be more successful, and have it all figured out.  For me, 35 years on this blue planet has gone quickly and taken its sweet time.  A beautiful paradox.  It seems like a nice year to reflect on life and things.

I certainly know that my body is betraying me a bit.  My metabolism has slowed ever so slightly.  I am at my heaviest point weight-wise and I am not lifting weights or anything so...yeah, not so great.
And I don't seem to recover from vigorous exercise as quickly as I did.  I still feel like I got some stuff in the ol' basement, but most professional athletes are retiring at my age so that does not make me feel like I am in my physical prime or anything.  I know that I still could be, which is encouraging, but it's hard to find the energy to get moving and in shape when you are almost 35...at least that has been my experience so far.  Maybe I'm making too many excuses for myself.  Age is just a number, right?  I'm not even close to middle-age since I am going to make it to a 100.

Well, enough rambling for now.  It's been a gorgeous and busy Spring day and I'm ready to cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie: Silver Linings Playbook.  I am expecting good things.  

Driving Along in My Automobile

I spend a lot of time in my car.  I am a commuter.  When young, I didn’t understand how someone could willingly submit to driving long distances to and from a job.  I thought it was something that I would never do, nor have to do. 

Now, with over ten years of commuting experience behind me (40 minutes each way covering about 32 miles—for a total of 65 miles and about an hour and a half each day) I understand the reasons why I commute.

I made a choice not to live in the community that I work in.  Duh.  It’s as simple as that.  That is the only reason why I have to drive every day.  That is why my brand new car (was brand new) now has 178,000 miles on it.  That is why I burn through two gallons of gas each day, having to fill up the tank once a week.  Commuting is not something that I absolutely love to do, but actually, it’s not that bad.  In fact, there are a great many positives to having that time in my car.

My driving has made me a much more patient and thoughtful person.  I have time to muse over how my day might go, and time to digest how my day went.  I get to think, listen to music or N.P.R., and observe sunrises—and in the winter time, sunsets.  Yesterday I got to witness mysterious dust devils swirling in the corn fields.  I have a greater ability to focus and concentrate because of my daily commute, and it allows me to decompress from stress, even though it can also add to stress (especially when the weather is nice and I just want to be home).  Perhaps I feel this way because I drive Plank Road, a country highway that is Midwestern scenic and with very little traffic.  If I was stuck in bumper to bumper expressway like when I lived in Oak Park I think I might be playing a different fiddle tune.  Call me lucky and slap me silly, I s’pose!

Commuting is meditation for me essentially.  I get in the driving “flow” and feel in control and command of my destiny.  I do enjoy driving and road-trips, like the feeling of getting from point A to point B, and enjoy the freedom of operating an automobile.  Because I am so well-practiced in driving, I feel like I am a “good” driver.  Carly might think I am a bit lax and not as vigilant as I should be, and there might be some truth to that, but compared to the general class of drivers, I think I am at the head of the class.  I am no longer an aggressive driver and don’t really speed.  Maybe it’s my age, or maybe it’s because I’ve finally wised up that the extra few minutes saved are not worth the risk.  I understand that with all the miles I’ve driven there is a tendency to zone out and become complacent, forgetting that driving is a dangerous activity, becoming overconfident in my abilities thinking that I am invincible like some superman of commuters.  I try to stay vigilant and aware of this trap because I do worry about accidents and the hazards of the road.

In fact, I’ve been reminded recently just how quickly life can change because of driving.  On May 1^st I was one of the first on the scene of a bad accident between two SUV drivers, right on the corner of Plank and 47 where the Shirdi Sai Temple (white church) is located.  The front ends were completely smashed and crushed.  I did not see it happen, but I smelled the airbag dust, saw the stunned look on the face of the driver who caused it, and dealt with the crying, painful grunts and gasps of the passenger who was involved.  This big-bellied, middle-aged Mexican guy (why didn’t I ask him his name?) must have broken some ribs or had internal damage because he was in some serious pain.  He had his seatbelt on and there was a passenger airbag, but he was hurting as evidenced by the pressure with which he squeezed my hand and the pain in his crying voice.  I opened the mangled door, put my hand on his shoulder and tried to calm him down, telling him to “breathe,” that “people are on the way to help,” and that “everything is going to be ok.”  I don’t know if he ended up “ok” because I left after he calmed down and the police officers showed on the scene. I had a class of students waiting for me and selfishly didn’t want to get stuck behind the accident scene since I had parked right before it and thought the road would get closed down.  But, in my defense, I didn’t think twice about getting out to help and I was calm during an intense situation. 

I think I helped.  I got quite the adrenaline buzz and even thought that I might make a good EMT or something in a different life.  It was scary and I’m glad there was no blood or extreme-looking injuries.  I’d like to think it wouldn’t have mattered, but I think I would have been a lot more freaked out if I had to put pressure on a bleeding wound or something.  Driving involves accidents and accidents can be life-altering/life-shattering.  I think this particular accident was bad enough to change these people’s lives forever, but hopefully not terrible enough to leave permanent damage. 

Being involved in my clavicle shattering accident woke me up to the fact that life can change in an instant.  It’s not a cliché.  You have to understand that driving can lead to death or serious injury and you have to keep that awareness close in order to stay safe on the roads.  It’s hard when you are a commuter like me, but seeing accidents like the one this May Day once again reinforces that driving is a serious responsibility.  I take it seriously, and for the most part, I trust the people in the opposing lane every day to stay on their side of the road.  What a miracle this life is…until it is not…until some sorry, regular person gets into an accident…

It really could happen to anyone without much fault or blame resting on the person.  Yeah, if you’re texting and fiddling with stuff and zoning out, that’s mostly on you.  I’ve been a bit freaked out at a few cyclists that have been in the road that I saw, but just as easily could not have seen and killed.  Drifting onto the yellow line is not hard to do, and how life would change if something terrible was to happen.  Thank you, thank you to the powers that are looking after me and everyone else.           

Spontaneous Pool

I got the urge to fill the free Craigslist pool I picked up last season.  Hauled it down from the garage rafters and had to figure out where to put a 10 foot round pool.  I decided not to kill the grass yet, and placed it into the garden space that has yet to be planted.  

I feel guilty that the hose has been on for the past two hours and this pool is still not full.  It's still not full!  I've been checking for leaks and it seems ok, although the air ring is not holding air all that well so something is going on there.  If you can't duct it, well...

Anyway, my wife is not in the least bit excited about this adventure.  It's curious because I know she likes to swim, I know she likes seeing the boys swim, and I know she looks good in a bikini...I can't figure out why she doesn't want an old pool in our backyard.  Perhaps it has to do with the statement a pool makes: we are wasteful Americans with water to spare!  Or perhaps it makes her worry because now we have a possible death trap in close proximity.  I get all of that.  But I was raised with a pool in my backyard and I have nothing but wonderful memories associated with it.  It was the place to be, and as a Dad, I think it would be cool to re-create the wonder and majesty of cold water on hot summer days.  It is a status symbol of a sort, because pools don't really come that cheap, unless you get them for free on Craigslist like I did.  But then again, it ain't free.  I bought a cheap filter, bought some chlorine, am putting in I don't know how much in water...yeah, and the time that it is taking to fill it is an opportunity cost too...did I mention that it is still not full yet.  

I foresee quite a few headaches relating to this ool (notice there is no "p" in it...yet), although the optimist in me is hoping that I can fill 'er once and everything is going to go alright.  We shall see.  Would you care to see?  Here's a pic of the 2/3rds full pool.

  

Books versus Smartphones

I'm at work/school and am staring out at 26 teenagers.  They are supposed to be reading and preparing for the fourth literature circle that we are having tomorrow, but I would say only about eight of them are doing that.  The other 18 are involved in whispered gossip, absorbed in the social media or games on their smartphones, doing other homework, or just staring off into space.

Now, my question is: what in the world do I do about it?  How am I supposed to make these students care about the books that I would like them to read?  I gave them choice (not a completely "free choice," but a choice).  This class is reading The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, and Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin.  These are all pretty fascinating books.  Some are a tad slow, but on the whole I feel like there is value in each one.  I'm not so sure many of them do.  

The literature circles so far have been fairly lame.  I've learned that a lot of my students don't really know how to communicate with each other in a sustained, intellectual way.  They have about enough material to last about fifteen minutes, and then the conversations crap out.  I need to do more to prepare them to talk in this way, but it's tough. 

Part of the problem are these pesky smartphones.  A long, sustained argument/description in a book does not give the kind of immediate feedback and gratification that smartphone apps, social media, and gaming does.  It's a tough transition I am asking my students to make when I want them to read books, but it's one that is essential to them being capable thinkers.  Part of the problem is that so many of my students have never gotten into the "flow" of reading.  It's not something that they've had success at or enjoyed, and so they  avoid it and immerse themselves in other areas of life.

Well, the bell just rang and it's time to go.  I don't have all the answers as a teacher, but I'm still here after ten years and have a lot of hope that next year I'll get it all figured out...if only I can make it through the next two weeks into summer...if...  

Night Itches

To quote a good friend quoting 'Confucius:' "Man with itchy butt wakes up with stinky fingers."  Now thankfully I don't have an itchy butt, but I do have poison ivy on my legs and arm and it be itchy!  I managed to itch myself pretty good last night and did not sleep all that well.

I guess I contracted the poison ivy or poison oak when I was digging for the church plant sale.  It must have been quite the sneaky plant because I was digging with a master gardener and we both know what to look for in terms of itchy plants...leaves of three, let 'em be.  He also got some poison ivy rashes and so I don't feel as stupid.  Misery loves company, I s'pose.

Well, it's day two of the blogging experiment and I am writing!  Success.  I have to keep patting myself on the back or else I may get discouraged with my lack of witty/worthwhile things to say.  I feel like this entry is full of cliches, and I hadn't meant to be whining/complaining again like I did in my first post, but poison ivy is just so unusual I had to express.  This is the first time I can remember getting it actually.  I'm glad I don't have bed bugs, chicken pox (again) or some other creepy dis-ease.

Anyway, as I itched myself a tad raw last night I was thinking about some ground rules to this blog.  Perhaps I should turn off my internal editor and try to crank out these entries quickly--less than 20 minutes or so.  That way I won't be obsessing over my turn of phrase and dare I say, have fun writing.  We shall see.

Here are some pics of the nasty poison ivy.  Enjoy!

 

Collarbone Weather Detector

My clavicle aches when a storm is a brewin'.  Seriously, no joke.  It is like an arthritic knee, or some other dysfunctional appendage that old war veterans suffer with:"Yeah, Judith, I feel it in my bones this evening...we're going to get at least three inches of rain, with a cold northwesterly wind of about 20 miles per hour...best take in the umbrella in the backyard...and get me the electric heat pad, will ya?"

Carly, my wife, makes fun of me every time I whine and complain about it.  Sometimes I think it is in my head like all the crazy stuff that is supposed to happen during a full moon, but then, I truly do feel a dull throb and know I am not insane in my brain.  My collarbone gets achey when the weather changes.  It is as simple as that.  It must have something to do with barometric pressures or humidity or something. I don't know why it happens, but it does.  Really.  Any doctors out there that can shed some insight into this phenomenon?  Maybe I'll do my own research.  

Anyway, this is my right clavicle that I am discussing and it's an issue in my life because it has been busted and has obviously not healed normally.  It happened because of a memorable car accident that occurred in New Zealand.

I was driving a 1978 Mini Clubman, replete with my own hand-painted red and yellow racing stripes.  Gosh, I loved that car.  Carly and I were dating and going somewhere on a Friday night in downtown Christchurch.  The light was yellow and I was trying to make a right hand turn (which is a left hand turn here in the States).  The dude in the red civic with his three buddies (who were all drinking, by the way) decided to accelerate through the yellow. I did not see him, was distracted by the bright lights of the city, and decided to turn.  We met in the middle with a nice, scary crash.  Our cars were totaled, neither one of us had insurance because we didn't need to, and the entire impact seemed to have focused on one of the most fragile bones in the body.  It hurt....

My collarbone healed funny and now I am wise to changes in the weather.  I tell this anecdote because I think it is an interesting story about me.  If I don't appreciate and record my own stories, no one else will, right?  And so, this blog begins.  I am unique, and so is everyone else.  It's time to start writing and  reflecting on this wonderful, interesting world around me.  It's time to tell my own stories before my mind loses them forever.

It would be nice to share my thoughts with other readers instead of typing only for myself, so if I stumble onto something that piques your curiosity, please feel free to write me back encouraging words about what an amazing writer and person I am.  And if you think I'm an idiot, feel free to point it out, but just remember that "I am vast and contain multitudes," so perhaps on another day I won't be as stupid.  And so, it is past 10:00 p.m., our faux dow comforter is now completely dry, and I am ready for sleep.  The blogging adventure has officially begun...